Chinese beef and carrot stew

Slow-braised beef and carrot in soy and spice: the great stew of the northern Chinese table

Origin: China (Shaanxi / Northern China)

From the journey of Carrot.

The carrot reached China via the Silk Road, the Persian word for carrot, 'gazar', had already become 'húluóbo' (胡萝卜, literally 'foreign turnip') in the Chinese vocabulary, reflecting the clear awareness that this was a plant from the West, brought by Hu people from the steppes. It was adopted first in the north and northwest, Shaanxi, Gansu, and the regions connected to the old Silk Road cities (where it was worked into the braised meat dishes that define northern Chinese winter cooking. The great stew tradition of northern China) beef, mutton, or pork braised low and slow with root vegetables, soy, Shaoxing wine, star anise, and ginger: absorbed the carrot naturally. The carrot provides sweetness and body that absorbs the braising liquid deeply, becoming tender and flavour-saturated while retaining a pleasant density. This dish, made throughout northern China in countless household variations, is emblematic of the Chinese home kitchen: deeply savoury, warming, slow-cooked, and inseparable from cold weather and the family table.

Ingredients

Beef

  • 800 g beef shin or chuck, cut into 4cm pieces

Carrot

  • 500 g carrots, peeled and cut into large roll-cuts (hob cuts)

Fat

  • 3 tbsp neutral oil

Aromatics

  • 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 5 slices fresh ginger
  • 4 spring onions, tied in a knot

Sauce

  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar

Spice

  • 3 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 dried chillies (optional, for a gentle warmth)

Liquid

  • 700 ml water or light beef stock

Finish

  • 2 tsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (optional, for thickening)

Method

  1. Blanch the beef: place the beef pieces in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. This removes impurities and produces a clear, clean braise.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot or wok over high heat. Add the ginger and spring onion knot and fry for 30 seconds. Add the blanched beef and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until lightly coloured.
  3. Add the Shaoxing wine and let it sizzle and evaporate for 30 seconds. Add both soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, and dried chillies.
  4. Pour over the water or stock. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce heat to the lowest simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
  5. Add the carrots. Cover and continue to simmer for another 45–50 minutes until the beef is completely tender and yielding, and the carrots are soft and deeply coloured by the braising liquid.
  6. Remove the star anise, cinnamon, spring onion, and ginger. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you want a thicker sauce, stir in the cornflour slurry and simmer for 2 minutes.
  7. Serve in deep bowls over steamed white rice, garnished with sliced spring onion.

Notes

This stew improves dramatically overnight, the braising liquid penetrates the beef and carrot completely, and the spices deepen. Make it a day ahead and reheat gently. The beef shin is ideal here: it has enough collagen to produce a rich, glossy, slightly sticky sauce as it breaks down. Chuck works well too. The roll-cut (hob cut) for the carrot, cutting at an angle, rotating the carrot a quarter turn between each cut: produces irregular faceted pieces that have more surface area to absorb the sauce.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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